The Great British Pubco Scam. Pubs are closing all over Britain yet pubs are places that most people love and think fondly of as some of the most significant, treasured, iconic parts of our culture, places to be cherished, nurtured and looked after. Yet they're closing everywhere... WHY? It doesn't make sense does it? Read on...
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Sunday, November 15, 2009

I completely fail to see where this £709 million nail in the coffin of pubs comes from. Surely it's going to knacker the vending machine companies but it's not going to affect my pub's income one bit and I struggle to see how it's goign to hit other pubs substantially differently from mine.

I have no idea whether my experience reflects that of pubs across the UK but over a decade ago the revenue from a cigarette machine in my pub was substantial. The machine began with 20 cigarettes for not much more than the shop price, over years that eroded into packs of sixteen for a fiver. Unsurprisingly ncome reduced to a trickle and frankly the machine taking up space, occasionally breaking down while irritating customers who thought we were trying to rip them off made having the machine seem like more hassle than it was worth. The looming smoking ban didn't augur well for sales either.

We've been selling cigarettes from behind the bar for a long time now - it works fine and is more part of the service we offer along with all the other products we sell than a significant income stream.

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J Mark Dodds

I’m one of the Pub Persuaders, one of the Pub Professionals, one of the People who knows what’s going on – in PUBS that is - and this blog is about pubs, why they are so important to people and why they must be preserved, reinvigorated, enhanced and remade fit for purpose for the 21st century and beyond and how they must be made sustainable so that future generations can enjoy and learn from the rich seams of knowledge that can be found on everyone’s doorstep in every humble pub – until it’s closed forever – until it’s too late and people say ‘what happened to our pub? We really NEEDED that pub!’
I’m a publican, parent and photographer with a lot of food and drink experience in some of the busiest restaurants and clubs in Britain. Since long before 2008 (when I co-founded the Fair Pint Campaign) I’ve been a pro pubs, people and places person at the forefront of the national conversation about why pubs are closing… everywhere.
I love good pubs, my kids love good pubs, all my friends love good pubs – everyone loves good pubs and I’m determined to make sure good pubs remain part of everybody’s experience - of growing up in the UK and of visiting this country.